Ijtema beginsThousands of people came streaming to the bank of river Turag for Biswa Ijtema with delivery of sermons going on in full swing on the first day of the second largest congregation of Muslims yesterday.

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Fire kills 4 of a family at PallabiFour members of a family were burnt alive in a fire at a camp of the stranded Pakistanis at Morapara in the capital's Pallabi area early yesterday.

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Too tender to feel the lossThe fate of the two boys became uncertain with the death of their single parent mother who was burnt alive in a fire at the Bihari Camp in the city's Pallabi early yesterday.

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Specialists scant to handle situationBurn injury patients in the country often do not get timely and proper treatment as there are only 10 burn specialists against a demand for at least 400, said experts at Dhaka Medical College Hospital

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Foreign help alone can't weed out militancyLeader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday said international assistance for combating militancy in the country would not bring any result unless the government makes sincere efforts to resolvethe

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Displaced families afraid of going back to housesMore than 500 people of about 90 families displaced due to the blowouts in Tengratila gas field in Sunamganj last year are still afraid of returning to their houses because of continued spewing of gas

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Potential for more JMB violence considered seriousA US State Department communiqué has said the security situation in Bangladesh is volatile, mentioning that a terrorist bombing campaign and threats to US and Western interests have led to increased security

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Shibganj goes on strike indefinitelyPeople enforced an indefinite strike at Shibganj upazila from yesterday protesting the killing of eight people in police firing at Kansat and demanding the release of arrested leaders who conducted movement

Family demands UN probe as Rocca visits residenceFamily members of slain former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria yesterday demanded UN investigation into the killing when US State Department Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca

A lawmaker's brutalityA ruling BNP lawmaker assaulted a businessman yesterday and a party worker on Thursday for hanging up and distributing calendars containing the picture of a rival candidate for BNP nomination in the coming

Hamas under pressure to pursue peaceHamas was under mounting pressure to renounce violence Friday after its shock election win as Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas prepared to task the radical group with forming a new government.

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World powers haggle over nuke resolutionWestern powers want the UN Security Council to call on Iran to suspend its nuclear fuel work, according to a draft resolution being refined while the United States and its allies pursue diplomatic efforts.

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13 Myanmar nationals held at IjtemaLaw enforcers yesterday held 13 Myanmar nationals from the Biswa Ijtema ground at Tongi for entering Bangladesh territory without legal papers but released them later.

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Six Bangladeshi smugglers arrested in West TripuraThe Border Security Force (BSF) has arrested six Bangladeshi nationals, including a forest staffer, as they were allegedly trying to smuggle out tree logs from Indian territory into Bangladesh through

Vegetable export needs freightage cut, testingHigh freight cost, lack of testing laboratories and other infrastructural facilities are some of the hindrances that are holding back Bangladesh's potential of becoming a major frozen vegetable exporting

2-day ICT, development fair begins todayD.Net, a development research network, will celebrate its fifth anniversary today through a two-day ‘Development and ICT Fair’ at BRAC Center Inn at Mahakhali in Dhaka.

Nepal's trade deficit widens by 51pcSurge in imports and less than expected performance of major exportable commodities in the international market have widened the Nepal's trade deficit by 51 percent during the first four months of 2005/06

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Five-day week for Malaysian banksThe Malaysian banks will implement a five-day working week from Feb 1 in a bid to encourage electronic banking and give bank employees more time off.

New BAIRA office bearersMAH Selim and Ali Haidar Chowdhury have been elected president and secretary general of the executive committee of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agency (BAIRA) for 2006-08.

Cricket:Karachi promises a lotThe focus has shifted from the players to the pitch as India and Pakistan attempt to salvage their Test series after two high-scoring draws that drew widespread criticism.

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Cricket:BD A complete UAE whitewashBangladesh A completed the whitewash of United Arab Emirates cricket team with a five-wicket victory in the back-to-back limited-overs game at the Khulna Divisional Stadium yesterday.

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Tennis:Federer makes it thriceRoger Federer reached his third consecutive Grand Slam final Friday with an easy win over Nicolas Kiefer at the Australian Open, to set up an intriguing clash with new star Marcos Baghdatis.

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Cricket:Eng to fight fire with fireMonty Panesar was called up Friday to fill the vacant spin berth for England's forthcoming three-Test tour of India.

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Cricket:Jayasuriya boost for Sri LankaSri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya is expected to resume his place in the team for Sunday's vital triangular series clash with Australia in Perth after recovering from a thigh strain.

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Cricket:Much-talked BCB meeting todayDespite confusions over his invitation, Reazuddin Al Mamun was determined to join the much-talked Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) executive committee meeting to be held at a five-star hotel today in the

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Football:Clubs say 'no' to BFFBangladesh Football Federation's bid to hold a single-leg Premier Football League this year got a blow when the top clubs opposed the idea.

Football:Livorno next for rejuvenated RomaSerie A's most improved side AS Roma host fifth-placed Livorno at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday as the race for Champions League places hots up.

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Football:France pitted against ItalyThe draw for Euro 2008 made here on Thursday pitted the continent's traditional powerhouses France up against Italy while England under new management go into unknown territory.

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Football:Real out to prove a pointReal Madrid have 13 points to make up on league leaders Barcelona but the Spanish giants feel confident that they can still snatch the championship from under the noses of their bitter rivals.

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Football:Barca, Juve shockedBarcelona may be almost invincible in the Primera Liga but the Catalan giants suffered a hiccup in their quest to land this season's Spanish Cup as they lost their quarterfinal first leg at Real Zaragoza

Tennis:Hingis in mixed doubles finalMartina Hingis continued her impressive comeback Friday by reaching the final of the mixed doubles at the Australian Open.

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Tennis:Sino duo lifts doubles crownChina's Yan Zi and Zheng Jie won the country's first-ever Grand Slam title Friday, grinding down top seeds Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur to take the Australian Open women's doubles title.

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Chess:Sagar keeps winningMinhazuddin Ahmed Sagar continued his winning spree to keep the solo lead in the BASIC Bank 27th National Junior (Under-20) Chess Championship at the end of the seventh round at the federation hall-room

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BSWA awardsMohammad Rafique and Mohammad Ashraful were awarded sportsman of the year for 2003 and 2004 respectively by Bangladesh Sports Writers Association (BSWA) on Friday.

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Tennis:Prithul makes hosts proudHenry Prithul Mondol kept one prestigious medal for hosts Bangladesh when the BKSP student won the boys' doubles title in the SBSL-BKSP International Junior Tennis Tournament yesterday.

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Cricket:Donald changes heartFormer South African paceman Allan Donald has withdrawn his application for the post of England bowling coach and will remain involved with his country's high performance coaching progra-mme.

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Football:JFA Cup first semi todayThe first semifinal of the Second JFA Cup Under-16 Football Tournament between Dhaka and Satkhira will be held today at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. The match will kick off at 4pm.

Create massive awareness to combat HIV/AIDSThe Second Sub-regional South Asian Parliamentary Seminar on HIV/AIDS ended in the city yesterday with a call for creating massive public awareness to combat the deadly disease.

Sylhet Samity gives winter clothes to poorSylhet Samity, Uttara, a community association of people from Sylhet living in Uttara in the city, yesterday distributed winter clothes and cash assistance among over 500 poverty-stricken men, women and

Fugitive convict arrestedThe members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested a fugitive convict, who was sentenced to death in a sensational case of five murders, from near his house at Bagra village in Srinagar upazila on Wednesday.

Ershad leaves for S Arabia todayFormer president and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad will fly to Saudi Arabia today on a seven-day visit.During his visit, he will undergo medical check-up at the King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh.

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National flag procession protests fanaticismA national flag procession was brought out by Bikkhubdha Deshbasi (aggrieved countrymen) in the city yesterday to protest fundamentalism, communalism and militancy across the country.

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New JU BCL body formedA 28-member committee of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was formed at the Jahangirnagar University (JU).

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Benazir rejects corruption chargesLaunching her defence against charges levelled against her, Pakistan s former prime minister Benazir Bhutto said on Thursday that there could not be any warrant issued against her as no court in Pakistan

Microbiology deptt opens at JUJahangirnagar University has opened microbiology department under the biological science faculty.With this, the total number of departments in the university stood at 25.

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Justice N K Chakraborty passes awayJustice N K Chakraborty, former law secretary and judge of the High Court, died of cardiac arrest at a clinic in Dhaka on Thursday night at the age of 61.He is survived by one son and two daughters.

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Sakauddin KhanSakauddin Khan alias Sona Mian, a noted soccer player and sports organiser, died of old-age complications at his Chairgram village home here yesterday morning at the age of 87.

Two JMB 'ehsar'members arrested in GaibandhaTwo more Jama'atul Mujahideen of Bangladesh (JMB) 'ehsar' members were arrested Thursday night by the Bogra unit of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), following a drive conducted near Gaibandha Bus Terminal.

An introspective Swapan ChowdhurySwapan Cowdhury, whose exhibition of watercolour and mixed media titled Introspection, is on at the Bengal Gallery, says, "I came into the field of fine arts on my own volition, but I did get the

Nepal debates whether it needs a kingAs violence and protests mount against Nepal's monarchy, the streets of this crowded capital city are resounding with a question: Does this Himalayan kingdom still need a king?

Arabs urge Hamas to take peace pathArab leaders yesterday urged Hamas -- dedicated to destroying Israel -- to talk peace with the Jewish state after the Islamist group redrew the political map with its shock Palestinian election victory.

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India has hard choices on US nuke deal: RiceIndia has "difficult choices" to make on a controversial civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States before the deal can be completed, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday.

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Opposition denounces 'farcical' Nepal pollsMunicipal polls planned by Nepal's King Gyanendra as part of his pledge to restore democracy look set to fail, opposition parties said yesterday after figures showed a lack of candidates.

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Tigers, troops accuse each other of attacksSri Lanka's military and Tamil Tiger rebels accused each other of new attacks on Thursday, a day after agreeing to peace talks that international truce monitors warned could be prevented by the violence.

Women bear brunt of poverty in IraqUmm Ziyad, her husband, two sons and granddaughter were just making ends meet in a one-room hovel in Baghdad when a suicide bomber decided the best way to attack a police station was to drive throughthe

Nawaz Sharif heading to BritainFormer Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif was to end five years of exile in Saudi Arabia by travelling to Britain on Sunday, a spokesman said Thursday.

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UN top job contenders face off at DavosSome of the contenders touted to replace UN chief Kofi Annan set out their stalls Thursday when they faced off at a debate here on the future of the world body.

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US strike violated its sovereigntyPakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said in an interview on Thursday that a US airstrike this month which killed some 18 civilians near the country's border with Afghanistan was a "violation of sovereignty.

Editorial:Hamas victoryThe militant Hamas has pulled off an impressive triumph in the general election following its good showing in the municipal polls earlier on.

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The malaise of militancy, graft and misgovernanceThe PRSP meeting in Dhaka last November discussed about corruption, rise of militancy, implementation of procurement law, better coordination in use of aid and governance -- all against the background

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A king-size problemI wish I could make out our policy on neighbours. At best, it is a reaction to what they do or do not do. We should cultivate them. But there is nothing called generosity when we come to deal with them.

Family PrideIt was one of London's grey, dank, end-of-summer evenings. The rain had drizzled all day, and weary commuters crammed onto the underground, feeling tired and miserable.

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Successful re-legioningOver the last 50 years, religions have so successfully re-legioned their hordes across the world along political lines that one is compelled to seriously doubt the validity of what one knows as the 'historical'

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On Naxalites and Nirad babuInteresting Times in India is an absorbing book by an English missionary who arrived in 1963--on the good ship Caledonia--to teach English literature to "midnight's children" at Delhi'sSt.